Post driver (pusher)

[TexasAirCooler]

As soon as I get my welder carb rebuilt I'm going to start customizing my loader bucket. Of course some hooks on top for chains. And I'm going to place a short length pipe on the back of the bucket to take care of the many t post I'm getting ready to replace on my land. Hope to get the welder straighten out.

 

[Doc]

Now that's a good idea. That would sure make setting a bunch of posts a very doable task without getting a sore back from it.
Please takes pics of the process if you don't mind sharing how you go about this project.

 

[TexasAirCooler]

I'll take some pics for sure. I've watch a few people use the bucket to push t pole into the ground before but the pole wants to slip and then gets bent. Or some one has to stand in no mans land, close to the bucket holding the pole... Hoping they don't get hurt.

 

[Doc]

Understand .... your idea sounds a whole lot better.
We have a pole driver (manual version) that we drive 4x4's into the river for building docks. It's about 34 inches tall with 5 inches at the top solid so that it's heavy. We lift "Big Bertha" up and pull her down hard on the post. Works great. Someone is also holding the pole straight until we get the 1st few bangs in. We've kept "Big Bertha" busy over the years. Everyone in our neck of the woods have borrowed her to drive in posts. She'll wear a guy out real quick. To bad a tractor FEL solution won't work in this situation.

 

[TexasAirCooler]

Status report!

I'm waiting for a fuel pump to come in for my welder....

 

[TexasAirCooler]

I got the fuel pump, took the carb apart and cleaned it up while I was at it. It's purring like a kitten now.

Took the bucket off, and positioned it for the first part of this operation... Post pusher. Since this will be just for t poles or something small I'm using a old hitch I had from a 4x4 truck long time done.

Marked the center of the bucket of course, ground the paint away. Welded it in short sections just to make sure the metal wouldn't try to warp. Half way through weld it started raining. Didn't really mind to much till the water started running down my legs... That's when I had enough!

I'm going use the pin hole for a t post puller. That's a later project.

I've got a couple of chain hooks to weld on the top of the bucket. Clean up any rust that shows up after this rain, paint the worked spots and put it back on.

 

[TexasAirCooler]

Rain stopped so not wanting the bare metal to rust any more than needed I went out and finished.

Picked out where I wanted my chain hooks, ground off the paint and welded them on. Scuffed off the rust that had started to show and painted.

Now to wait till it dries out enough to get the tractor over to put the bucket back on.

 

[TexasAirCooler]

Got to try it out this afternoon, worked great. I have a bunch to replace in a few days. Some to pull up. I think if I tilt the bucket a little it will pull a t post just as easy. I'll take some pics of that for you guys.

 

[Doc]

Good project. Nice Work Terry.

Do you actually raise the bucket and come down fast on the post or do you ease it into place? I'm thinking you must ease it as the bucket does not travel perpendicular straight up and down. I might have a fencing project in my future and if so I do belive I'll try to copy your idea.
I also need to add hooks to my bucket. Thanks for the reminder. They come in very handy.
Rep points for the project pics.

 

[Doc]

Oh yeah, I meant to ask, in your first pic, what is the thing with two wheels showing at the top of the pic? Trailer maybe?

 

[OhioTC18]

Oh yeah, I meant to ask, in your first pic, what is the thing with two wheels showing at the top of the pic? Trailer maybe?

Well Doc, It's got a trailer jack, trailer wheels and a trailer door on the back. By golly I think it's a trailer

 

[Doc]

if so it's a specialty trailer. I've never seen a dually that short. My eyes are horrible at detail. I did not even see the jack.

 

[TexasAirCooler]

Good project. Nice Work Terry.

Do you actually raise the bucket and come down fast on the post or do you ease it into place? I'm thinking you must ease it as the bucket does not travel perpendicular straight up and down. I might have a fencing project in my future and if so I do belive I'll try to copy your idea.
I also need to add hooks to my bucket. Thanks for the reminder. They come in very handy.
Rep points for the project pics.

Not fast, watched a guy doing that years ago, bent about a third of the poles he was putting in. Know another guy that lost two of his fingers holding a t pole while someone slammed a bucket down on the pole.
With the depth of the square pipe I have someone insert the t pole up into it and I ease it down to where I want to place the pole guided by the other person. Once in position the other person backs away and I lower the FEL using the weight of the tractor to slowly push it down.

Oh yeah, I meant to ask, in your first pic, what is the thing with two wheels showing at the top of the pic? Trailer maybe?

That is a 2 horse trailer that has been converted to my welding / torch / tool shed trailer.

 

[tjack]

a very short piece of 2" pipe (1/2" would do) welded to a convenient place on the bottom ot back of the bucket would prevent the post from slipping. Would require someone to hold the post in position until contact with the ring on the bucket. then push down. The only time the post will bend will be when it hits a rock, root, buried treasure, etc.
good luck

 

[TexasAirCooler]

Yes it takes another person to hold the pole if you want the pole dead on in line with others. Or I've got an old pair of vise grips with the big mouth I can use with the holes in the side to hold a t pole if I need to single handed.
I've only put 100 t poles in so far, slightly bowed only one.

Once it warms up, and if it stops raining long enough I'm got an idea for a hay fork that will slip over the buckets leading edge and lock into the pipe above.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I was going to make something to hold the post with similar to yours but not weld it on the bucket. My FEL has flat wear plates on the bottom so it doesnt slip, but I was going to weld some handles to a piece of pipe that you could slip over the TPost that would extend 5 feet for a 7 foot post. Just push it in the ground till the post guide hit the ground. Handle would be for holder to steady the post but not be under the bucket. A rope on the FEL with a hook to attach to post driver would allow the FEL to lift the driver off the driven post and even set it on to the next post if you wanted or lay it down for the ground man to slide on the next post.

 

[TexasAirCooler]

Welcome to the site Gary,

Mine has the plates also. I've worked up a bracket with two pins and springs that I can put in the holes on mine to hold a t pole. It works good for pulling them up also.

 

[Gary Fowler]

post puller/driver

That would be neat to have a spring loaded pin that you could slide in a tee post and it would hold it in place so you could position it and push it in the ground pull a rope to release the pin then lift off the post. To pull just align the bucket and drop it down lift up. Of couse aligning the bucket might be a little tough to get it exactly right. I like my idea of having it somewhat loosely tethered to the tractor with a cable or chain so the ground man can position on the post then you can just pound it down or press it down depending on the soil and for pulling the ground man could guide it to the post when you get close, the slip it over and the spring loaded pin would grab the post for lift out. I think this would be much faster, providing you have a ground man that is.

 

[EastTexFrank]

You guys keep throwing those ideas around. I'm sitting her taking notes and I'm not to proud to steal anybodies good ideas.

 

[bordercollie]

I have held my T posts in position with a strong magnet bar . Works fairly good. Bordercollie